7 Tips For An At Home Yoga Practice
Updated: Sep 1, 2022
Do you like to do yoga at home? Are you wanting to start a new home practice? Keep reading!
Maybe you prefer practicing at a studio but just can't get to class as often as you'd like. Or maybe you just really love the idea of waking up in the morning and doing yoga before you do anything else. Here's what you can do to make your home practice tranquil and peaceful.
Yoga is a light, which once lit will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter your flame. - B.K.S. Iyengar
Here's 7 tips for starting and sustaining an at home yoga practice:
Create a specific space where you'll practice. I know that not everyone has a special room where they can practice yoga, but we can all make a little space. (I used to live in a 250sq foot studio apartment, and I made room next to my bed to practice each day). Even if it has to be torn down in between practices, you can make it easy to set it up again. Make sure it's somewhere that can be as quiet as possible. If you have family or roommates, let them know what you'll be doing and ask that they respect your time while you practice. If you're an aesthetic person, put your crystals, cards, plants and other woo woo things where you'll be practicing. It helps... trust me. ;)
If you like music, set the mood in a way that feels good for you. Some of us prefer to practice in silence, and that's awesome. But sometimes, you're looking for a workout and could really use some "pump me up" tunes. Or maybe you'd like some meditation music while you do a yin practice. Either way, get yourself set up. This is all leading up to having everything in one place so you don't get (too) distracted while you practice.
Have blankets and pillows (or yoga props if you have them) available. Again, you want to make sure you have everything you need before you start, so you don't run off to look for your pillows and blankets just to end up cleaning your bedroom. It can be very easy to get distracted by tasks around your house, so commit to creating the practice space and letting those things wait until later.
Choose your yoga practice. So this is where the yoga newbies and the just newbies to home practice will probably split up. If you've been practicing for a long time, you may already know what sequence you'd like to do. It may feel more meditative to just go through what feels good for your body. Lean into that. Or you can print off a sequence online and have it nearby for reference. If you like being led, then definitely choose a yoga video or even a live online class! Newbies... I highly recommend having a beginner's yoga video cued up for your practice. You could even do a couple of one on one online sessions before diving in to your practice. Lots of teachers are doing privates via Zoom these days (you can book some with me here if you'd like). But the point is, have yourself set up with SOME kind of plan. Otherwise, you may end up just rolling around on your mat (guilty).
Have kids/animals? This part is for you. I know children and animals can be such a challenge with an at home practice. We love them, but we're trying to get our zen on, dammit! Disclaimer: I do not have children so I cannot speak as much on that topic, but the sentiment is the same. Surrender to it. Allow it to be something that you're working with that makes your meditation and attention muscles that much stronger. I know that dogs specifically feed off of the energy of those around them... so if you're constantly saying "stop it!" or "go away" it can excite or agitate them and make them do it more. But if you just surrender, usually they will surrender with you and calm down. When I first started doing yoga at home my two w